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Self-Control in the General Theory of Crime:

Theoretical Implications of a Measurement Problem

Chemnitz University Of Technology, Germany

Numerous studies have attempted to test Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime. The present article outlines the view that virtually every empirical test of the theory is based on serious misinterpretations of its core construct, self-control. A reinterpretation of self-control is proposed and seven requirements for its construct-valid measurement are specified. A review of self-control measures used in previous research shows that these requirements are more often violated than met. As a consequence, the empirical status of self-control theory is held to be still largely unknown, despite all apparent evidence.

Key Words: crime theory • personality assessment • self-control

Theoretical Criminology, Vol. 8, No. 1, 33-55 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1362480604039740


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